Serious question. I've owned 1 board with Lokbox and always wondered why anyone bothered using them. I was in the Algarve and it hit me mid surf ... what happens if I lose a fin?So for curiosity sake I checked out a few surf shops and sure enough - none of them had any lokbox fins. Futures, FCS .. of course. Same goes for all the shops in both Western Australia and California I've been in.

Sadly there is absolutely no way I would buy a board now with Lokbox fins, even if I loved the shape or shaper. What is the incentive to use them?

Have you had problems with your fins coming loose? I have always found Lokbox to be "fit and forget". Never bothered to check the fins after fitting, never had any come loose. (Never knocked one out either). Plenty of the shops in Cali. stock them. I would have thought it was the same here? (I know there's a U.K. rep). They're the most reliable and durable system I've seen, and I would happily use them over any other. You can adjust them in the box, and they don't move when you tighten them, unlike some (The new FCS boxes). That's enough reasons for me.

Best system on the market.Can't remember the last time i had to replace a lokbox box, usually if they hit something hard it just cracks the glass or the metal plate bends out.Futures will take huge chunks out of your board if you hit something, way worse than just loosing the fin with lokbox.As for fcs most of the bad press is due to them being installed by chinese monkeys that don't see the need to bond them to the deck or put two layers of cloth over the fin areas.You just don't get any problems with lokbox, so much so that i only keep a couple in stock.

the half a half is a small hull, originally it had a large fishtail but most people who were buying these were shortboarders and they didnt like the feel of an 18" wide fish tail, so changed it too a stealth tail which give them the same feel of a normal shortboard tail but on each rail.can be a twinny or quad

Hey,i'm have two boards shaped and i was wondering about which fin system to go with. i want these to be my travel boards plus i spend a fair bit of time in spain.I thought lokbox to begin with which i have in my fish and have had no probs with, my only gripe is that the fins are a bit pricey. But then talking to the shaper he said the only draw back is if your away somewhere and you DID damage a lokbox plug theres slim chance of finding someone to repair it. I know your more likely to get trouble with fcs( although never have had a prob with fcs even in my poorly made RNF) but you're more likely to find someone to fix it for you or take a kit and fix it yourself.

I agree with consensus here, lockbox are the best system. AB3 can attest to a board he lent me and will I ended up putting my full weight on the fins in a wipeout (that is body, then fin then board then beach) anyway, the only damage to the lockbox was the plate bent and the fin went MIA. My 17.5 stone self on the other hand was brused and cut from the fin damage to my back.....

Lokbox for me every time. As Coxie says the chances of damaging the box are greatly reduced by way of the metal plate being designed to bend so that your fin pops out in the event of a hefty impact. Ok so you lose a fin but at least it won't tear chunks out of your board. Worst case scenario is a probably bit of damage to the glass, which is easy to repair.

Lokbox composites are also pretty cheap and actually very good, much stiffer than the usual molded fins from other brands. Buy a set of these along side your glass fins and take them as spares.

*EDIT* typed this before seeing above reply, pretty good example of the metal plate design in action!

I honestly can't remember the last time i had to replace one mate, any that have come in are just easy fixes just re doing the glass over the box. Like i say i don't even stock them as they will just be gathering dust. All other fin systems i keep boxes of the things. I got royals lokbox router off him before he went away and still haven't had to use it.Best system by miles.

Actually, they're bastards to find here in Cali too- I just tracked down a couple of sets for a mate in South Australia as they're nigh on impossible to find there, and even up here it wasn't easy to find anyone who had any sort of range of them. Thalia Surf Shop in Laguna Beach deserve a definite plug as they had a set of Tudor keels and a Pavel Speeddialer one, Very nice and easy to deal with too. The Marlin Bacon bamboo fins were really nice, although if you dinged them they would immediately suck water. He's not doing them at the moment which is a shame. If anyone knows of other fin guys doing LokBox sets let me know, my mate Paul is always on the lookout for them.

I have had trouble with lokbox on both boards I have with lokbox fitted

first case - got pinned to the reef paddling out in orkney and the glass/resin has shattered around the plastic of the box - in this case I would have just dinged the tips of the fins but in the same scenario I'd have lost the FCS fins and needed to repair the plugs for sure. The fins didn't break out the box which in this case was a good thing as they were bonzer side fins and about 80 quid to replace.

second case - broke 2 lokbox fins out of the rail of a speed dialler fish ripping half the swallowtail out with them on a bottom turn. board is pretty useless now

i got absolutely creamed out at spew pits in fuey back in nov. Properly mowed down and rolled across the reef. i could hear fins popping off and all sorts...when the water receded i was left high an dry on the reef with a missing nose and missing fins but no damage to the fin boxes = cheapish repair.

I've been looking in to fins and fin boxes a lot lately and it got me thinking you can buy carbon fiber fins but how come there are no carbon fiber fin boxes ? If Lokbox made carbon fiber boxes as a high end product it would be bomb a proof system. But still having the choice of the cheaper standard box so the customer could choose.

Although may be it would be so ridgid that it wouldn't give at all on impact causing the box to break out...Not sure just a thought.

Adjustability. I set my 6'8" quad up with Lokbox using the hanalei positioning. 1/2" adustability on each fin gives me a lot of options. I push them together and get a great snappy feel.I go all the way back when the surf is big. All the way foreward for big slopey rollers. All the way apart and it fly's down the line. I haven't tried adjusting each side differently yet but I hear you can get an asymmentrical affect.As far as travel goes.Buy an extra set.They're cheap.